Trump envoys arrive in Kyiv after Putin talks

U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys arrived in Ukraine on Sunday after more than three hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, opening a new round of diplomacy aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Steve Witkoff, the White House special envoy, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, traveled to Kyiv as part of a trip Trump said was centered on “a proposal to end the war.” It is their first visit to Ukraine since Trump returned to office after pledging to resolve the conflict.

Before their arrival, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine needed “security guarantees” and peace. He told reporters European national security advisers would take part in some of the discussions.

“We are expecting one session of our talks, and then another session will be held with the European NSAs,” Zelenskyy said. “Several important sessions.”

Witkoff and Kushner met Putin on Saturday in the Kremlin’s Red Drawing Room. A White House official told CBS News the envoys and Putin “discussed substantive plans for next steps, which will be announced in the coming weeks.” Trump had told reporters before the trip that the envoys were carrying “an idea for peace” and said “there may be a good chance that we’ll do it.”

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the American delegation had made “serious preparations for this trip” and had “also formulated a number of ideas regarding possible paths to a settlement.” According to Reuters, cited by Al Jazeera, Ushakov described the talks as “highly useful,” “substantive, very frank and constructive.” He did not provide details of the proposals.

At the start of the meeting, which was captured on video, Putin asked Witkoff and Kushner to pass along his warm wishes and gratitude to Trump. He described the situation in Ukraine as “not simple,” or “not an easy one,” according to video cited by Al Jazeera. Ushakov also said the talks covered in “some detail” potential U.S.-Russia deals that would be “mutually beneficial.”

Both Russia and Ukraine agreed to pause strikes on each other’s capitals during the envoys’ visit to allow the talks to take place. Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the Tass news agency that Putin ordered no strikes against Kyiv for three days because of the planned visit. Zelenskyy mirrored the decision by halting strikes until Monday.

The limited pause did not stop violence elsewhere. Al Jazeera reported that attacks were recorded in other cities in both countries, with at least seven people killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine and one person killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Belgorod region.

The latest diplomacy comes as both sides have intensified drone and missile attacks. Al Jazeera reported that Moscow continues to demand Ukraine stay out of NATO and hand over four Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — including areas not controlled by Russian forces. Putin proclaimed the annexation of the four partially occupied regions in September 2022, a move not recognized by the international community, including the United Nations. Ukraine has refused to cede territory to Russia.

The Trump administration has ruled out a seat for Ukraine in NATO, Al Jazeera reported. European NATO members have increased defense spending and offered to provide security guarantees to Ukraine after any agreement with Russia.

Pope Leo XIV used his Sunday prayer to renew his appeal for peace in Ukraine. “I hope that the efforts undertaken in recent days to resume negotiations will bear concrete fruit and make way for diplomacy,” he told worshippers in St. Peter’s Square.

The White House official also told CBS News the U.S. delegation thanked Putin for the release of Robert Gilman, a U.S. Marine veteran and 32-year-old teacher who had been imprisoned in Russia since 2022. Gilman was freed and allowed to return home last month. Before his release, he was hospitalized in serious condition after alleged severe mistreatment, according to Global Reach, an organization that worked to free him.